


Developing Resources

by CmonCmon



Series: Raising Warriors [19]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: 79's (Star Wars), Brotherly Bonding, Edee Feels, F/M, M/M, Rancor Feels, Soft Wars, Star Wars AU - Soft Wars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:00:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26654062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CmonCmon/pseuds/CmonCmon
Summary: Colt enjoys a night out at 79's and learns a lot about his brothers.
Relationships: CC-1138 | Bacara/CT-7567 | Rex, Colt (Star Wars)/Shaak Ti
Series: Raising Warriors [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1835518
Comments: 32
Kudos: 256
Collections: Open Source Soft Wars





	Developing Resources

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Project0506](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Project0506/gifts), [Primarybufferpanel (ArwenLune)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArwenLune/gifts).



> A bit on a companion piece to Project0506's [Soft Wars](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683775) story "Train up a Child"
> 
> So many thanks to [PrimaryBufferPanel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArwenLune/works) and Jac (with the secret AO3) for their help with this one, and [sheApunk89](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheApunk89/pseuds/sheApunk89) for talking through the last changes.

“What about the next group?” Colt eyed Rex across the table. He was pretty sure that earned a low growl. The music and the voices of vode determined to make the most of their freedom drowned out the sound.

Rex pouts, but tries to cover it with a long swallow from his beer. “Barely got the last bunch back.”

“You got them back.” Colt respected Rex’s determination to hang on to his men. Related to it. The only Rancor troopers to leave Kamino since they’d arrived had asked for specific assignments and Colt had checked out each assignment with the relevant COs before signing off on anything. “And you’ll get the rest of them back.”

Torrent’s Captain sulked and Colt scanned the crowd for his men so he didn’t let on how much like a cadet Rex’ika could still be. Web, Baar, Trib and the other Rancor troopers were deep in a cluster of 501st blue and 212th gold. Hammer kept Blitz company at the short end of the bar. 

“They deserve it.” Colt didn’t turn to look at Rex while he said it, to give him the chance to react without judgement. “Think of how much you learned during ARC training.”

Colt waited for the choking cough to pass as Rex inhaled his beer instead of drinking it. Maybe he didn’t know  _ all _ the details of what the Captain had gotten up to during his ARC training, but Colt knew enough to believe it had been a memorable and formative experience. 

“I sent you the others when they were ready.” Rex gasped the words out between sputters.

“You sent them when they were already trained,” Colt corrected. The first batch of Torrent ARCs were brilliant, but past ready. ARC training was selective, it was competitive and downright grueling. And yet, it was still training, still meant to be a time to learn skills and grow existing talents. 

Rex, Colt knew, had trained his ARCs like the Shebse had trained him - to be so prepared no one could deny him his chance. “Echo and Fives were ‘ready’ when they helped defend Kamino.” 

And even then, the rest of Domino Squad wasn’t far behind.

“We’ll take care of them, Rex.” Colt could promise it because he knew 17 considered Rex as good as one of his Shebse. “And if anyone tries to keep them without asking you first, Rancor command will assist whatever osik plan you come up with. Hells, I give her the rundown and Shaak will back you up.”

Rex turned his attention to the vode milling around, and Colt knew the message was received. Like 17, he couldn’t wait to see what Torrent’s ARC candidates brought to the table this time.

“Didn’t bring your Jedi with you,” Rex noted in that tone all the Shebse had, the one that meant he was looking to bicker but pretending he wasn’t.

“I invited the General.” Colt was pretty sure Rex had known about Colt’s feelings for his General as long as Cody had - meaning since Bly had not managed to keep the topic private - but Shaak would not be referred to with anything less than the appropriate respect. “She said she’d already made one visit here a few trips back with Havoc. Guess she hasn’t recovered.” Colt nodded out at the mass of brothers cheering on a very lopsided drinking contest. No Rancor colors visible, thank the stars.

“More like  _ Bly _ hasn’t recovered.”

It was more the tone than the osik-eating grin on Rex’s face that set off warning sirens. 

“The General thinks highly of Bly.”  _ I’d hate to have to kill him, _ Colt didn’t bother saying aloud.

“Nothing like that.” Rex shrugged, taking the last sip of his drink. Waiting. Playing it out. “Really Cody was just having some fun.”

That must actually work on those shiny Torrent troopers. 

Colt had spent his life around Shebse. He knew how to play these games. Colt settled back in the booth. “Oh. I’ll ask Cody about it at our meeting then.”

There was just the slightest wobble in Rex’s grin. 

Colt didn’t allow himself to get too pleased, but he knew Rex was weighing the desire to dangle the story just out of reach against losing the satisfaction of telling it. 

Colt finished his own drink, the beer Rex had ordered for him when Colt didn’t know what to pick, and considered the empty glass.

“Cody wasn’t even there,” Rex pouted.

“Another round?” Colt pretended he would change the subject and flagged down a server. He barely glanced at Rex before signaling two beers. 

If something had gone wrong, Havoc had handled it. If he hadn’t, and Shaak hadn’t brought it up, Colt would assume everything was fine because unlike some of his brothers, he didn’t have need to worry about his Jedi doing something stupid. It was that simple.

Drinks showed up, and Colt tapped his glass against Rex’s before taking a sip. 

Core planets sure did drink more. 

Colt would have to see which brother he could talk about increasing Kamino’s supplies. Sure, a Rancor brother or two might brew up something now and then, but if the others got to go out every time they came through the core…

“Cody suggested she ask Bly why cadets kept getting stuck in toilets.” 

Colt choked on his beer as Rex began to giggle. 

_ Oh kark him _ . 

“Don’t know what he did.” Rex grinned pure Shebse disaster across the table. “But he must have really pissed Cody off.”

“Right. Must have.” Colt tried to force a matching grin. Bly must really have pissed Cody off for him to use the ammunition Colt had passed along so soon. “Haven’t thought about that in a long time.” 

Colt  _ had _ meant for that to come around on Bly sooner or later, but that di’kutla brother of his had turned out to be a lot of help since he’d set those wheels in motion.

Still, he probably ought to feel worse about putting a fellow CC in an awkward spot.

“But they are still doing it? Trying to get the snacks down the ‘fresher?”

“Not for a while now. Thankfully.” Colt was glad not to deal with that particular emergency.

“Should I take this personally, vod?” Fox came into view through the crowd looking every inch the scowling commander of the Coruscant Guard, and not a vod at a bar to catch up with an old squadmate. 

Fox gestured dismissively at Rex as he spoke to Colt. “Thought you were here to meet me.”

“I  _ am  _ meeting you.” Colt bit back the urge to sigh. He loved his brothers, and he’d always make time for them, but sometimes Fox was determined to make things difficult. “Ran into Rex while waiting for you.” He scooted over in the booth, even if it meant losing his sightline on the other Rancor troopers.

“They’re fine, Colt. They only have three of you karking mother nexu watching their every move.” Of course he’d already clocked the Rancor troopers. Fox threw himself into the offered spot and then seemed to realize Rex was still there. “You need another CC squad to adopt you?” 

Rex looked from Fox to Colt with a flat glare.

“Stop that, you’ll hurt Ponds’ feelings.” Colt reminded Fox, and earned a non-committal sound in reply.

Rex rolled his eyes very deliberately in Fox’s direction and pushed himself out of the booth. 

Colt loved his squaddies, but sometimes Colt felt like the only one trying to keep them together, functional. He didn’t mind that Ponds was the best leverage Colt had, but he wished he didn’t need leverage.

And yet, Rex had no shortage of brothers to watch out for him. Colt had very determinedly guilt-tripped Fox into having a drink with him.

“Glad we had a chance to talk, Rex. I’ll catch up with you and Cody before I ship out.” And because he couldn’t help himself, Colt called after the Captain as he escaped into the crowd. “Think about the next round of ARC training.” 

“Still on that?” Fox asked once Rex was out of earshot. There was something fond in the question. His squadmate hadn’t moved across to the vacated side of the table, so Colt pressed in closer against Fox’s side. For all his bluster, maybe Fox was a little happy to have a visitor.

“Still on that,” Colt agreed. “Staying sane?”

Fox made an annoyed sound in his throat and took a long drink from Colt’s beer. “I was trained to fight a war.”

“Me too, vod.”

Fox nodded, and slid Colt’s beer back to him. “So much for that.”

So much for Squad Edee’s big dreams of glory. They had been built to be out on the front lines together, leading men into battle. 

Instead, Fox was tied to Coruscant. Colt’s brother least likely to tolerate idiots was the one surrounded by them. Instead of commanding troopers in the field, he was a senatorial babysitter drowning in datapads.

Colt had led troopers to their deaths in lopsided battles on seven planets only to return to Kamino. Only to leave the war to the cadets in his place. All that “defensive prowess” and he couldn’t protect his little brothers.. 

Clever, curious Gree had ended up with a Jedi and padawan who were more interested in healing than warmaking. It was a good fit, a safe place for Gree, but one without any outlet for his talent, nothing to keep his hands busy but tinkering.

And then there was Neyo. 

Colt took a long drink from the beer. 

The man today would be unrecognizable if Edee hadn’t been stitched into this DNA. At least, for everything else went wrong, Neyo was out there in the galaxy blowing up the Seps.

But those were all thoughts for another night. He was out to spend time with his brother, and he would do that.

Colt roughed his brother’s hair to get him to grumble and put it back in place. Fox looked tired. Moved like he wasn’t but Colt could still see it. Still see the heaviness in his movement, the slump of his shoulder. He was tired, and not just physically. It was the sort of worn-too-thin that would have him growling and snapping during the days with too many training sims and not enough sleep. “Want to tell me about it?”

“No.”

Colt laughed because Fox was Fox. Always teeth and sharp edges, but Colt had long known he was armored for it. “Want me to tell Ponds you were mean to his CT vod’ika, so he’ll come down here and pout at you?”

Fox’s entire demeanor perked up. “No.”

“If you say so.” Colt leaned across Fox to check his men. Trib and Hammer had swapped places, Hammer in the knot of blue and gold with the Rancor troopers and Trib propped against Blitz’s shoulder.

“They’re fine.” Fox grumbled, shoving Colt back into his own seat. “Most Commanders set their troopers loose on this planet to  _ cause  _ trouble here instead of somewhere else.” He finished Colt’s beer and slid the empty back in front of Colt. “You’ve got to let ‘em go. They deserve it. Their brothers will keep an eye on them.”

“I know they’re fine.” Colt really did. The words were too close to the same ones he’d used on Rex. Colt  _ knew _ his men were safe, knew they were here to have fun. 

But Colt had lost too many men to believe sending a few Priority Alerts would bring them back. 

Colt forced himself to relax into his seat and enjoy his drink with Fox. Fox, who had been determined to pretend he didn’t care who left ever since Neyo had been taken from them. 

“Not like Rancor gets to have any fun with the longnecks around every corner.”

“So, is the Commander of the Coruscant Guard suggesting Rancor troopers are not getting into enough trouble?” Colt needled at him, putting an elbow in the gap of his brother’s armor causally as he shifted in the booth.

“Lemme get on comms and fix that.” Colt brought his comms unit up.

“Don’t you karking start.” Fox glared. 

Immune to the glare after years of exposure, Colt did send a comm. Not to his men though. He commed Rex to get Ponds to come out and join them before flagging down two more beers. Colt didn’t think he’d be waiting long for the fun to start.


End file.
